Contact cooking, often referred to as "toasting" or "grilling", of food products such as dough products, for example breads, rolls, bagels, muffins and buns (hereafter collectively referred to as "buns"), is known in the commercial food service industry. It usually involves compressing one or both pieces of a sliced bun, cut-surface(s) down in contact with a surface heated at a high temperature for a time sufficient to heat the interior of the bun to from about 150.degree. F. to about 170.degree. F. This is done to dry and caramelize the cut surface(s) of the bun. Caramelization is desired because it provides a visually appealing, at least partially-bonded surface texture which crunches when bitten. The bonded surface also seals the cut surface which prevents juices from the food and moisture from condiments from entering the interior of the bun and rendering it soggy.
Typical buns are flash frozen after the initial baking thereof. Prior to commercial use, the buns are thawed for a minimum of twelve (12) hours to room ambient temperature. This product is defined as one of the driest and most difficult to grill and maintain the desired final attributes.
Conventional grilling apparatus and methods have several shortcomings. They are slow in that they require a grilling time of from about 30 to 45 seconds or more to obtain the desired bun internal temperature and to achieve the desired caramelized contact surface texture. Also, heating the buns at required temperatures of about 150.degree. F. to 170.degree. F. for such times drives moisture out of and dries the buns. For example, with conventional grilling systems there is about a 5 to 7% loss of moisture from standard burger buns which typically have a relatively low moisture content of about 32%. This causes drying especially of edges of the buns which causes the edges to curl or roll upwards. Further, conventional grilling apparatus are open at both ends to allow the buns to enter and exit the apparatus. This is disadvantageous because it allows energy and heat to escape from the grilling apparatus. Conventional grilling systems also are not adapted to apply uniform pressure onto the buns to achieve uniform caramelization of buns of different or irregular sizes, profiles and/or configurations.
It is a main objective of this invention to overcome the above and other limitations and disadvantages of conventional high temperature contact toasting or grilling devices. That is, the bun conditioning apparatus of the present invention provided improved productivity by reducing processing time and provides a means which contact caramelizes a bun and heats it 165.degree. F..+-.5.degree. F. in less than 20 seconds.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved high temperature toasting or grilling apparatus and method which caramelizes buns more rapidly, preferably with less drying of the buns, thereby eliminating dried and/or rolled bun edges.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved high temperature, high speed bun grilling apparatus and method which provides grilled and/or caramelized buns which retain a higher percentage of their pre-grilled moisture content. Another object of this invention is to provide the aforementioned grilling apparatus which is adapted to reduce energy and heat loss from the grilling system.
Another object is to provide a unique grilling apparatus which is capable of producing a uniform caramelization of the cut surface(s) of buns, while voiding damage to or disfigurement of the buns.
Another object of this invention is to provide a grilling apparatus which is capable of producing a uniform pressurization and caramelization of buns of different or irregular sizes, profiles and/or configurations.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide the aforementioned uniform pressurization and caramelization without leaving compression markings on the crown of the treated buns.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved high temperature, high speed grilling apparatus, including automated types, for the fast food service industry. It is also an object of the present invention to restore or recondition a previously flash frozen bun which has been thawed so as to provide an extremely dried buns. Such dried buns are extremely undesirable to taste and it would be highly desirable to restored the original soft, moist texture to a thawed bun which is perceived by the consumer to have the original consistency and taste of a fresh baked bun.